Watches funded on Kickstarter certainly are a special breed, ranging from extreme overbuilt machines to minimalist design studies. The Stage Watch, currently about halfway to its funding goal, seems to lie somewhere in the middle – a moderately complicated watch taking its time to explore a number of interesting design ideas and construction techniques.
Says Stage Watch..
“Inspired by the history and architecture of the Roman Colosseum, the STAGE WATCH begins with an elaborate geometric octagonal dial. Its bold (44.5.mm) design adds a unique statement of style and creates a memorable presence on your wrist. Plus its automatic Swiss movement keeps perfect time with up to 42 hours of power reserve. The STAGE WATCH is fashioned in PVD coated 316 L stainless steel and its high-quality bezel swaps out easily so you can further customize your timepiece to your individual taste.”
Geometric Colosseum Design
There’s a lot going on with the dial here – on first glance it appears to be a concentric mix of octagonal, circular, and traingular shapes, with hours on the outer ring, minutes on the inner ring, and a center rotating seconds disc. It’s a lot to look at and get used to, and for my sensibilities, it’s a little busy. It ISS exploring the design idea to the max, and for that I appreciate it. Also visible on the dial is a small day window, with optional magnifier. Apparently the dial is made of of “Over 40 different parts” – lume not being one of those parts.
Quick Changeable Bezel
The bezel has its own story too – it’s “quick changeable”, with currently five color options to choose from, seemingly all with the same design. That’s a cool feature, but honestly, how many times are you going to be changing out the bezel of your watch? I remember back to my first Technomarine Watch back in 2001 – I loved changing up the rubbery bezel pieces between neon orange, blue, and clear – but that was a fun and funky sports watch, not a design study piece. Maybe they’ll see what sells best and refine their product line from there?
Also, if I’m reading this right, the bezel piece of this watch will also be swappable with bezel pieces from upcoming models – that’s certainly new – but does it severely limit their design latitude for the future?
Swiss Automatic Movement, Exhibition Caseback
Stage Watch is using a Sellita SW200-01 Automatic movement for this piece. That gives it +/- 8 seconds per day, and a nominal 42 hour power reserve – not bad for a watch of this caliber. As you’d expect with a design study watch like this, there’s an exhibition caseback, sure to impress your friends.
Packaging
The retail display and “unboxing” experience seems to have been thought out in minute detail. A displayable wood box come standard, and features little holsters for extra bezels and leather straps – nice.
Final Thoughts
Want to get involved in the production of a new watch, and share in the excitement of tracking it through to final delivery? Go fund this watch on Kickstarter. Look forward to owning a piece of something you helped create, with all of its quirks and vaguely ostentatious design elements. But don’t look forward to a piece with as much technical, cultural, or style ooomph as you may be wanting for an enduring classic of your collection.
Tech Specs
- Case Size – 44.5mm
- Sapphire Crystal – 3mm
- Bezel – Quick Changeable
- Warranty – 2 Years
- Material – PVD 316L Steel
- Movement – Swiss Sellita SW200-1
- Strap – 22mm / Quick Changeable
- Hour Hand – Diamond Cut
- Power Reserve – 38-42 Hours
- Water Resistance – 30m
- Preciseness [sic] – +/-8 S/D
- Case Thickness – 12.2mm
